Cloud Cuckoo Land
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- Create Date：2021-07-09 02:31:14
- Update Date：2025-09-07
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- Author：Anthony Doerr
- ISBN：1982168439
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Summary
From the Pulitzer Prize–winning author of All the Light We Cannot See， perhaps the most bestselling and beloved literary fiction of our time， comes a triumph of imagination and compassion， a soaring novel about children on the cusp of adulthood in a broken world， who find resilience， hope， and story。
The heroes of Cloud Cuckoo Land are trying to figure out the world around them: Anna and Omeir， on opposite sides of the formidable city walls during the 1453 siege of Constantinople; teenage idealist Seymour in an attack on a public library in present day Idaho; and Konstance， on an interstellar ship bound for an exoplanet， decades from now。 Like Marie-Laure and Werner in All the Light We Cannot See， Anna， Omeir， Seymour， and Konstance are dreamers and outsiders who find resourcefulness and hope in the midst of peril。
An ancient text—the story of Aethon， who longs to be turned into a bird so that he can fly to a utopian paradise in the sky—provides solace and mystery to these unforgettable characters。 Doerr has created a tapestry of times and places that reflects our vast interconnectedness—with other species， with each other， with those who lived before us and those who will be here after we’re gone。
Dedicated to “the librarians then， now， and in the years to come，” Cloud Cuckoo Land is a hauntingly beautiful and redemptive novel about stewardship—of the book， of the Earth， of the human heart。
The heroes of Cloud Cuckoo Land are trying to figure out the world around them: Anna and Omeir， on opposite sides of the formidable city walls during the 1453 siege of Constantinople; teenage idealist Seymour in an attack on a public library in present day Idaho; and Konstance， on an interstellar ship bound for an exoplanet， decades from now。 Like Marie-Laure and Werner in All the Light We Cannot See， Anna， Omeir， Seymour， and Konstance are dreamers and outsiders who find resourcefulness and hope in the midst of peril。
An ancient text—the story of Aethon， who longs to be turned into a bird so that he can fly to a utopian paradise in the sky—provides solace and mystery to these unforgettable characters。 Doerr has created a tapestry of times and places that reflects our vast interconnectedness—with other species， with each other， with those who lived before us and those who will be here after we’re gone。
Dedicated to “the librarians then， now， and in the years to come，” Cloud Cuckoo Land is a hauntingly beautiful and redemptive novel about stewardship—of the book， of the Earth， of the human heart。
Reviews
Brianna
，
（4。5 stars） I love that this book is described as encompassing “stewardship—of the book， of the Earth， of the human heart。” Within its pages we have the story of Anna and Omeir in 15th century Constantinople， Seymour and Zeno in present day Idaho， and Konstance in some future decade traveling to an exoplanet， all woven together by a book’s thread。 I think what’s most impressive is that every storyline is captivating。 In so many of the multiple viewpoint/timeline books I’ve read， there’s typicall （4。5 stars） I love that this book is described as encompassing “stewardship—of the book， of the Earth， of the human heart。” Within its pages we have the story of Anna and Omeir in 15th century Constantinople， Seymour and Zeno in present day Idaho， and Konstance in some future decade traveling to an exoplanet， all woven together by a book’s thread。 I think what’s most impressive is that every storyline is captivating。 In so many of the multiple viewpoint/timeline books I’ve read， there’s typically one character or time frame I find boring， but that can’t be said for this story。 It took me a good quarter way in before I knew for certain I wouldn’t quit before all 600+ pages were through， and from there I became more and more invested with every page。 Stick with it， dear reader！ I feel like I have so much to process and so many questions， and yet I’m sated and can tell I will be mulling over this book for quite some time。 Don’t let its 640 pages scare you - it’s worth the ride。 Thank you to Scribner and NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for a review。 。。。more
Joe Hilley
，
I received an ARC of this book。 Doeer writes in a way that sucks the reader into the text， submerging them beneath the words on the page。 It messes with my mind。 The sections are short。 Well， maybe one more before I stop。 It's late。 I'll read one more。 It's a gift。 I received an ARC of this book。 Doeer writes in a way that sucks the reader into the text， submerging them beneath the words on the page。 It messes with my mind。 The sections are short。 Well， maybe one more before I stop。 It's late。 I'll read one more。 It's a gift。 。。。more
Bri Childs
，
A gorgeous tapestry of stories， decades， and environments that piece together to tell a tale of hope， conservation， and beauty coming from ruin。 SYNOPSISCloud Cuckoo Land reminds us of the hope and perseverance that lies in a good story’s survival through multiple decades。 We follow Anna and Omeir， two lonely children， through opposite sides of the taking of Constantinople in 1453; we see the progression （from the 50’s to 2020） of teenage radical Seymour and aging translator Zeno until they meet A gorgeous tapestry of stories， decades， and environments that piece together to tell a tale of hope， conservation， and beauty coming from ruin。 SYNOPSISCloud Cuckoo Land reminds us of the hope and perseverance that lies in a good story’s survival through multiple decades。 We follow Anna and Omeir， two lonely children， through opposite sides of the taking of Constantinople in 1453; we see the progression （from the 50’s to 2020） of teenage radical Seymour and aging translator Zeno until they meet as attacker and hostage in a small town Idaho library; and we follow young Konstance in an isolated chamber of a spaceship as she pieces together the truth about her world in the far future。 And throughout it all， bits of the recovered Ancient Greek story “Cloud Cuckoo Land” slowly reveals how it connects them all。 THOUGHTSI think I’ve found my favorite book of 2021。 I’m a sucker for a LONG book with multiple storylines and time periods that all come together so beautifully that you can’t help but sob a little at the end。 This story was unique and poetic and the tiny pieces of comparisons between these multiple storylines impressively fit together at just the right pace。 The overall messages of unrelenting hope， of taking care of our dying world， and the power of storytelling were gorgeously done。 Bravo。 Get your hands on this one as soon as it comes out！！！Thank you to Scribner Books for the advanced copy！ 。。。more
Bonnie （A Backwards Story）
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I was so excited to get my hands on a copy of one of my most-anticipated fall releases that I dove right in！While ALL THE LIGHT WE CANNOT SEE isn't my normal genre， it was one of the best books I read the year it came out and I was instantly intrigued the moment I heard Doerr had a new book out this fall -- especially when I heard libraries were involved， because books about books are ALWAYS my thing！I am still wrapping my head around everything and will have fuller thoughts later， but I was glu I was so excited to get my hands on a copy of one of my most-anticipated fall releases that I dove right in！While ALL THE LIGHT WE CANNOT SEE isn't my normal genre， it was one of the best books I read the year it came out and I was instantly intrigued the moment I heard Doerr had a new book out this fall -- especially when I heard libraries were involved， because books about books are ALWAYS my thing！I am still wrapping my head around everything and will have fuller thoughts later， but I was glued to the page almost immediately。 While I expected to see the converging of three completely different time periods， I wasn't expecting such a tense mystery from the get-go。 My first thoughts upon cracking open the book were:--Who is Konstance and why has she been trapped in a high-tech vault for almost a year？ Why are there scraps of paper littered around her about the past？ Is she having visions？--In present-day Idaho， a librarian is rehearsing a play called "Cloud Cuckoo Land" with children after hours。 At the same time， someone who thinks the library is empty is laying down a bomb。 This， of course， was the segment that captured my attention completely， because whattttt？？？ And then the next passage time-jumps to the past and we don't come back to the present for a while， and， well， I need to know all the things and make sure everyone will be okay， you know！？--Also， how is Constantinople in the 1400s coming into play and tying everything together？？Some passages moved much faster than others， and at times， I cared about some characters more than others， but I enjoyed coming back to each and seeing how the past and future tied together in both small and large ways。 The characters are truly what make the story， and the librarian Zeno was my ultimate favorite character far and above the rest。 There's a lot going on， and at times， I did put it down and come back to it， but I ultimately really enjoyed this tour de force that will be one of the biggest book sensations of 2021。 I think it will really resonate with many types of readers， because it is more than one genre: historical fiction， a thriller， a sci-fi。 It reflects on modern topics such as climate change and mental health。 It questions what it means to be human， and why we go through life as we do and how what we do today can ripple and become an important part of the future。I'll be excited to talk about this one with others as more people read it and formulate more thoughts myself！ 。。。more
Beth
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Coming in late September。 Highly recommend。
Carla
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You'll get out of Cloud Cuckoo Land what you put in， so unless you're willing to go all in don't bother。 Mr。 Doerr's Pulitzer Prize winning novel All The Night We Cannot See was a fictionalized look at the grim reality of Nazi Germany; Cloud Cuckoo Land is a glorious mix of fantasy， idealism， and fate。 While Cloud Cuckoo Land has all the hallmarks of a masterpiece-multi dimensional characters， unparalleled writing， and a complex plot （to put it mildly） with gut wrenching tragedy， unrequited love You'll get out of Cloud Cuckoo Land what you put in， so unless you're willing to go all in don't bother。 Mr。 Doerr's Pulitzer Prize winning novel All The Night We Cannot See was a fictionalized look at the grim reality of Nazi Germany; Cloud Cuckoo Land is a glorious mix of fantasy， idealism， and fate。 While Cloud Cuckoo Land has all the hallmarks of a masterpiece-multi dimensional characters， unparalleled writing， and a complex plot （to put it mildly） with gut wrenching tragedy， unrequited love and hard won triumph-there's almost nothing in literary history to compare it to。 You might start out thinking Cloud Cuckoo Land is a nonsensical mix of unrelated stories， but how they come together to create a novel that blends the past， present， and future into a spectacular tapestry is simply genius。 The English language really doesn't have the words to describe Cloud Cuckoo Land-that what Mr。 Doerr has written is ultimately a love letter to books and the people who read them is the most brilliant irony。ARC from NetGalleySeptember 28，2021Scribner， an Imprint of Simon & Schuster， Inc。 。。。more
Jasmine
，
This book is everything a reader could ask for。 This beautifully written book shows how broken the world is and the damage we continue to inflict upon it， but it also is a shining example of hope。This is part contemporary， part historical fiction， and part sci-fi。 It follows a wonderful cast of characters throughout many centuries。Konstance who is living on an interstellar ship set in the not-too-distant future。 Zeno and Seymour whose lives collide on a fateful day in present day Idaho。 Omeir an This book is everything a reader could ask for。 This beautifully written book shows how broken the world is and the damage we continue to inflict upon it， but it also is a shining example of hope。This is part contemporary， part historical fiction， and part sci-fi。 It follows a wonderful cast of characters throughout many centuries。Konstance who is living on an interstellar ship set in the not-too-distant future。 Zeno and Seymour whose lives collide on a fateful day in present day Idaho。 Omeir and Anna whose lives intersect during the siege of Constantinople in 1453。 There’s also a myth （completely invented by the author） that connects these characters。 Truly， I loved everything about this novel。 I loved that there was a smattering of Ancient Greek language throughout the book。 It’s very accessible， a translation follows every instance of it。 There are twenty-four sections in this book that go along with the Greek alphabet， alpha to omega。 I haven’t read All the Light We Cannot See， so I’ll need to correct that oversight immediately。 Thank you to Netgalley and Scribner/Simon & Schuster for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinions。 I also won a printed copy in a giveaway from Simon & Schuster。 。。。more
Crystal Rees
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This book was beautifully written but wasn't for me。 Two many story lines enmeshed and I often felt confused。 Very deep prose and the concepts are uplifting and spiritual but I just couldn't fully grasp the attention it needed。 I will try again with this book in the future。Thank you Netgalley for this arc This book was beautifully written but wasn't for me。 Two many story lines enmeshed and I often felt confused。 Very deep prose and the concepts are uplifting and spiritual but I just couldn't fully grasp the attention it needed。 I will try again with this book in the future。Thank you Netgalley for this arc 。。。more
Rita Brutsch
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A wondrous story centering around an ancient manuscript telling the story of Aethon and it's effect on children in different places and centuries。 Yes it sound complicated and it is not the easiest book to read but quite marvelous if you can set a chunk of time aside and really dig into it。 A wondrous story centering around an ancient manuscript telling the story of Aethon and it's effect on children in different places and centuries。 Yes it sound complicated and it is not the easiest book to read but quite marvelous if you can set a chunk of time aside and really dig into it。 。。。more
Tina Panik
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Four narratives is a lot to keep track of， especially since this novel doesn’t coalesce until the last fifty pages。 Readers seeking the magic of “All the Light” will be disappointed。 This was an ARC
Linda Quinn
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This beautiful novel takes a handful of children， outsiders in their own times and places， and weaves them together through a universal tale of ecology， compassion and survival。 From the siege of Constantinople in 1453 to a futuristic spaceship hurtling toward a better world we explore the universality of children's hopes and dreams， of the need to conserve and protect our earth and how stories and books can live on through generations and eons to unite us all。 This beautiful novel takes a handful of children， outsiders in their own times and places， and weaves them together through a universal tale of ecology， compassion and survival。 From the siege of Constantinople in 1453 to a futuristic spaceship hurtling toward a better world we explore the universality of children's hopes and dreams， of the need to conserve and protect our earth and how stories and books can live on through generations and eons to unite us all。 。。。more
Nancy
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This is a beautifully written， complex series of tales。 The characters are so well-crafted that you feel like you are in “ their space。” It has many moments of grace， but also many poignant， painful moments too。 This made it a challenging book for me。 。 。
Jaidee
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4 " a more measured admiration and affection" stars ！！！ Thanks to Netgalley， the author and Simon & Schuster Canada for an advanced e-copy。 This will be released September 2021。 I am providing an honest review。 Like hundreds of thousands perhaps millions of readers I was mesmerized and amazed by All the Light We Cannot See and that was rated a full five stars （also my 5th favorite read of 2017）。 You can imagine how excited I was to receive an e-copy in advance of publication and I dove right in 4 " a more measured admiration and affection" stars ！！！ Thanks to Netgalley， the author and Simon & Schuster Canada for an advanced e-copy。 This will be released September 2021。 I am providing an honest review。 Like hundreds of thousands perhaps millions of readers I was mesmerized and amazed by All the Light We Cannot See and that was rated a full five stars （also my 5th favorite read of 2017）。 You can imagine how excited I was to receive an e-copy in advance of publication and I dove right in on receipt。 This is an excellent， imaginative and fanciful tale that involves the lives of children doing the best they can to survive with neglect， disability， disinterested adults， a dying earth。 We are taken by the hand to ancient greek myths， the siege of Constantinople， the Korean War， present day Idaho and the near future in outer space。 The narratives weave back and forth like the fibers of a Persian carpet。 Mr。 Doerr moves effortlessly and skillfully through myth， historical fiction， fantasy， drama and even romance。 The prose is simple but colorful and at times quite beautiful。 His message and morals are clear and this book is （mostly and generally） a delight to read。 I need to be honest though there were some subjective difficulties that I had with this read。 The psychologies of the characters are rather superficial， at times the prose was repetitive and at times I felt that this was a bit too glib， a bit too convenient and moderately over-processed。 These challenges were at the very lower end of worrisome and did not overly detract from the magic that is created here。 Overall I feel that this was a 3。5 star read but due to the frequency of my tears and the way my heart often swelled I know that I cannot rate this lower than an stellar 4 stars。 I very much look forward to seeing what elixir Mr。 Doerr cooks up next。 。。。more
Teresa
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I want to say this first – I absolutely loved All the Light We Cannot See。 It is one of my top favorite books ever。 But unfortunately， I am going to have to be completely honest， this is the weirdest book I have ever read and the weirdest book I finished。 I was not going to give up on Mr。 Doerr。 Several times I stopped and went back to read the 5-star reviews just to make sure I was reading the same book。 I was so glad when this one was over。 I did not find this as an enjoyable or an easy read， I want to say this first – I absolutely loved All the Light We Cannot See。 It is one of my top favorite books ever。 But unfortunately， I am going to have to be completely honest， this is the weirdest book I have ever read and the weirdest book I finished。 I was not going to give up on Mr。 Doerr。 Several times I stopped and went back to read the 5-star reviews just to make sure I was reading the same book。 I was so glad when this one was over。 I did not find this as an enjoyable or an easy read， it took me almost a week because I backtracked so many times to see what I was missing。 I am at the end and I still have no idea what it was all about。 So many characters， so many jumps between time frames， so much going on。 Maybe if we could have stayed with Anna and just told her story or Seymour or Konstance， but wow， I was unable to keep track or understand any of it。 From the previous reviews I may be in the minority but this one is way out there。I won’t give up on this author， you can’t write a gorgeous book like the Light without having the gift and I will definitely be reading more from him。 But this one did not work for me。 I received an ARC from Scribner along with NetGalley for my honest review。 This one comes in with 3 stars。 。。。more
Nan
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It took a bit to get into this book with the different time frames， but when I did， I did not want to put it down！ I love Tony's writing， such a joy to read。 It all comes together to show the love and importance of storytelling 。 I just finished and think I'll just sit with this wonderful book for abt a week before I'll pick up another！ It took a bit to get into this book with the different time frames， but when I did， I did not want to put it down！ I love Tony's writing， such a joy to read。 It all comes together to show the love and importance of storytelling 。 I just finished and think I'll just sit with this wonderful book for abt a week before I'll pick up another！ 。。。more
Lianne
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From reading the other pre-release reviews， I am obviously in the minority。 It was a long book （not usually a problem for me） that bounced between 5 different characters over 5 different times and places which eventually have a connection with each other。 I actually wish I could better explain why I wasn't a fan of this book， I just wasn't。 From reading the other pre-release reviews， I am obviously in the minority。 It was a long book （not usually a problem for me） that bounced between 5 different characters over 5 different times and places which eventually have a connection with each other。 I actually wish I could better explain why I wasn't a fan of this book， I just wasn't。 。。。more
Christine Corrigan
，
Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr is an epic in the classical sense。 This book is for word lovers， readers， librarians， and library lovers。 This is a weighty novel both in length and breadth over time， characters， places， and how our stories connect us all。 The novel weaves together the tales of five characters over three time periods， as well as an ancient Greek text that explores Cloud Cuckoo Land。 Anna and Omeir reside during the fall of Constantinople in the 1400's。 Anna is an orphaned youn Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr is an epic in the classical sense。 This book is for word lovers， readers， librarians， and library lovers。 This is a weighty novel both in length and breadth over time， characters， places， and how our stories connect us all。 The novel weaves together the tales of five characters over three time periods， as well as an ancient Greek text that explores Cloud Cuckoo Land。 Anna and Omeir reside during the fall of Constantinople in the 1400's。 Anna is an orphaned young girl who wants nothing more than to learn to read， but she lives in the convent of Saint Theophano and works in an embroidery house in Constantinople where she helps make elaborate clerical vestments。 In the evenings， she sneaks away to explore the city and search for lost manuscripts。 Omeir is a young boy from Bulgaria who is born with a cleft palate and believed to be cursed， but grows into a gentle farmer who cares tenderly for his oxen until he's conscripted （with his oxen） to join the Sultan's army bound for Constantinople。 Zino and Seymour live in the present day， and their paths tragically cross during the rehearsal of a children's play in a library of Cloud Cuckoo Land。 Konstantine lives in the future in the Argos， a ship destined for another planet， who discovers the Cloud Cuckoo Land story as well， along with clues about the reality of her existence。A well-woven tale for thinkers and readers alike。 Put this on your TBR for the fall。 Cloud Cuckoo Land will be on sale on September 28， 2021。 Many thanks to Simon & Schuster for the Advance Reader's Edition in exchange for an honest review。 A favorable review was not required and all views expressed are my own。 。。。more
Sharon Layburn
，
I was not adequately prepared for how stunning this book was going to be。Cloud Cuckoo Land is a gorgeous piece of literature that shifts between multiple time periods and storylines， with five main characters， and an ancient tale that ties them all together in unexpected ways。 It is a love letter to libraries and the power and comfort of stories。 It is a warning about how we， as humans， are so often consumed by the desire for "more"， with little thought about the consequences of that hunger。 It I was not adequately prepared for how stunning this book was going to be。Cloud Cuckoo Land is a gorgeous piece of literature that shifts between multiple time periods and storylines， with five main characters， and an ancient tale that ties them all together in unexpected ways。 It is a love letter to libraries and the power and comfort of stories。 It is a warning about how we， as humans， are so often consumed by the desire for "more"， with little thought about the consequences of that hunger。 It is a message of hope， as so many of the characters persevere despite danger， disappointments， and disasters。 It is well worth the seven years Doerr's fans had to wait since his last masterpiece All the Light We Cannot See。 This ARC was provided by Scribner/Simon & Schuster， in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Meghan PageUs
，
Thank you NetGalley and Scribner Publishing for the chance to read and review one of my new favorite books， Cloud Cuckoo Land。 There is a scene early in the book in which school age children are in awe of a space that honors a book， imagination， dreams。。。 this is how I feel about this book， imagine a book that has a scene that captures the awe and joy of the book itself。 The story is about the power of storytelling over time and how stories matter and it is worth the time to dive into the fanta Thank you NetGalley and Scribner Publishing for the chance to read and review one of my new favorite books， Cloud Cuckoo Land。 There is a scene early in the book in which school age children are in awe of a space that honors a book， imagination， dreams。。。 this is how I feel about this book， imagine a book that has a scene that captures the awe and joy of the book itself。 The story is about the power of storytelling over time and how stories matter and it is worth the time to dive into the fantastical storytelling that Doerr shares。This book is amazingly delightful， inventive with storytelling and connecting stories and timelines and themes over time （seriously over time！） in a way that never feels dense， boring， or plodding; instead the writing is light， deft， and engaging。 It might take time to see how the themes come together but good storytelling can't be rushed and the joy sometimes needs to be in the reading， not rushing to understand where a book is going and I think that is the goal， successfully achieved， of the writing。 I did not want to stop reading this book and yet it was also a book that invited me as the reader to slow down and enjoy reading。 I loved the characters， especially Zeno， and I loved the quirkiness in places of the storytelling and writing。 I know that there will be a lot of anticipation for this book based on the author's previous success and I am glad to say that this book did live up to and exceed expectations， I look forward to how other readers will get to enjoy and engage with this book！ I think this book was written for those who love reading， who love to get invested in a book， and who want to somehow read about that feeling; what a gift it is for an author to capture the mythical joy of storytelling and want to give that to readers。 。。。more
Kim
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This was an absolutely brilliant book…。。 beautifully written with well developed characters。 It’s quite different with 3 storylines: 1400 and the siege of Constantinople where we follow 2 characters， present day Idaho where we follow 2 characters ， and some time in the future where we follow a young girl。 The plotlines all revolve around an ancient book and a fable。 It’s also a book about our planet 。 All of that sounds bizarre but it’s SO worth the read 。 It’s wonderful ！
Jamie U
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I received an advanced readers copy through a Goodreads giveaway。 I have really mixed feelings about this book。 Through more than the first half I had no clue what exactly was going on or what any of the characters had to do with any others。 It took me probably 4 times as long to get through this book as any other book I've read this year。 I just couldn't get into it and really wasn't enjoying it。 By the last quarter of the book I was enjoying it much more and realizing how everything was fallin I received an advanced readers copy through a Goodreads giveaway。 I have really mixed feelings about this book。 Through more than the first half I had no clue what exactly was going on or what any of the characters had to do with any others。 It took me probably 4 times as long to get through this book as any other book I've read this year。 I just couldn't get into it and really wasn't enjoying it。 By the last quarter of the book I was enjoying it much more and realizing how everything was falling into place and how they were connected。 By the end I thought it had been a good story but I'm not real sure if I'd recommend it to others。 It just took me way too long to get into it。 。。。more
Stacie Lauren
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This book is special。 Part Greek myth， historical fiction， fantasy， and thriller， Cloud Cuckoo Land was phenomenal。 In a sense it reminded me of Cloud Atlas or People of the Book， where characters from various time periods have a single connection that runs through each of their lives。 In this case the connection is a work by the greek author Diogenes called Cloud Cuckoo Land。 I loved each grouping of figures who are each very well developed。 I'm not sure I could pick a favorite。 Each character This book is special。 Part Greek myth， historical fiction， fantasy， and thriller， Cloud Cuckoo Land was phenomenal。 In a sense it reminded me of Cloud Atlas or People of the Book， where characters from various time periods have a single connection that runs through each of their lives。 In this case the connection is a work by the greek author Diogenes called Cloud Cuckoo Land。 I loved each grouping of figures who are each very well developed。 I'm not sure I could pick a favorite。 Each character felt so raw and real。 I have already preordered this book as I know it is one I will recommend to others and want to read again！Thank you to Scribner and NetGalley for granting me a free copy in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more
Lynne
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This book has everything！ Historical Fiction， Modern Fiction， and Futuristic Fiction。 What a feat to tie them all together！ The reading went super quick because i kept wanting to learn more about each section。 Very thought-provoking。 Highly recommend for bookclubs due to a lot of discussion points。 Highly recommend for individual readers because of the new information， and wanting to figure out the commonalities。 Thank you NetGalley for the ARC。
S。 Smith
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This stunning novel by a Pulitzer Prize winner weaves together three intricate narratives separated by time but united by the struggles and triumphs of the human condition。 Set in 15th century Constantinople， 21st century Idaho， and aboard a future interstellar space vehicle， the book as a whole creates a moving， page-turning tribute to the power and necessity of books and storytelling。 Thanks to the publisher for supplying an advance reading copy via NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review This stunning novel by a Pulitzer Prize winner weaves together three intricate narratives separated by time but united by the struggles and triumphs of the human condition。 Set in 15th century Constantinople， 21st century Idaho， and aboard a future interstellar space vehicle， the book as a whole creates a moving， page-turning tribute to the power and necessity of books and storytelling。 Thanks to the publisher for supplying an advance reading copy via NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review。 。。。more
switterbug （Betsey）
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The noble love of reading ties this mixed-genre novel together。 I admit， it took me a minute to warm to this book。 First I read almost 200 pages and was so distracted by all the characters and unearthly elements that I lost the plot。 So I started again， this time opening my heart and mind to a narrative design that I usually avoid， knowing that Doerr can be playful but serious， too。 And it took！ It stuck！ I allowed myself into Doerr’s past， present， and future， so that， at the end， as I closed t The noble love of reading ties this mixed-genre novel together。 I admit， it took me a minute to warm to this book。 First I read almost 200 pages and was so distracted by all the characters and unearthly elements that I lost the plot。 So I started again， this time opening my heart and mind to a narrative design that I usually avoid， knowing that Doerr can be playful but serious， too。 And it took！ It stuck！ I allowed myself into Doerr’s past， present， and future， so that， at the end， as I closed the book， I wanted the world that Doerr created to continue。 And it does…our stories don’t have to end; they can be passed on for aeons， as you will see when you read this fabulistic and mythical tale。 Love， redemption， curiosity， desire， and a bit of the odious blend together to show us all our humanity。There’s odyssey， a library in Lakeport， Idaho， fools’ errands， dystopia， sci-fi， and an allegory of The Golden Ass， where a shepherd， Aethon， wants badly to transform into a bird， but instead turns into a donkey。 The Aetheon story is conveyed through the inserts of found folios in a dead language--an ancient story written on parchment that has been partially destroyed by moisture and time。 “It has wizards inside whales and guard-owls that ask riddles and a city in the clouds where every wish comes true and even…”How can Seymour， a sad young almost-man with a bomb， a young teen， Konstance， born and raised on a spaceship， an Ottoman boy with a cleft palate in the 15th century， and a young girl behind the walls of Constantinople learning to read， an 86 year-old teacher named Zeno， and a library， connect the dots of the story？ Well， you have to read it， and then you’ll believe it！ What Doerr demonstrates so well is that the love of books can transform us， and those around us， too。“Of all the things we humans do…there might be nothing more humbling， or more noble， than trying to translate the dead languages。 We don’t know how the old Greeks sounded when they spoke; we can barely map their words into ours; from the very start， we’re doomed to fail。 But in the attempt…in trying to drag something across the river from the murk of history into our time， into our language: that was…the best kind of fool’s errand。”Thank you so very much to Scribner for sending me an ARC to review， a novel that gave me hope， and charmed me with its imagination。 。。。more
Keegan
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I grabbed an ARC of this from my job because it seemed right up my alley。 I'm a sucker for 'stories about stories' metafiction stuff and Doerr delivers in spades。 I grabbed an ARC of this from my job because it seemed right up my alley。 I'm a sucker for 'stories about stories' metafiction stuff and Doerr delivers in spades。 。。。more
Judi
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Anthoney Doerr grabs you on the first page and you're hooked。 It's as hard to describe this 600+page book as it is to remember its name but， believe you me！ you'll be glad you read it！ The story covers the evolution of the book "Cloud Cuckoo Land" from the 1400s to the 1900s to the near future。 Confused？ I recommend suspending your disbelief and start reading - you'll fall in love with the storylines and how they're woven together into a beautiful story of resilience， faith， and love。 Anthoney Doerr grabs you on the first page and you're hooked。 It's as hard to describe this 600+page book as it is to remember its name but， believe you me！ you'll be glad you read it！ The story covers the evolution of the book "Cloud Cuckoo Land" from the 1400s to the 1900s to the near future。 Confused？ I recommend suspending your disbelief and start reading - you'll fall in love with the storylines and how they're woven together into a beautiful story of resilience， faith， and love。 。。。more
Olivia Fink
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Thanks， Scribner Books for an ARC！3。5 stars Something Old， Something New， Something Borrowed， Something BlueI think this saying is perfect for this book。 This book has something for everyone。 It has both the historical genre and futuristic science fiction。 We have something blue with the book and something borrowed from the story itself， which has been passed down through many generations。 Like I said this story is the whole package。 We follow Anna and Omeir who live in the past。 Omeir is a shep Thanks， Scribner Books for an ARC！3。5 stars Something Old， Something New， Something Borrowed， Something BlueI think this saying is perfect for this book。 This book has something for everyone。 It has both the historical genre and futuristic science fiction。 We have something blue with the book and something borrowed from the story itself， which has been passed down through many generations。 Like I said this story is the whole package。 We follow Anna and Omeir who live in the past。 Omeir is a shepherd boy who then fights as a soldier in the battle against Constantinople。 We have Anna who is an orphan working in the palace。 Then we have the current present with Seymour and Zeno。 We follow these two characters from when they were born all the way to death。 Then we have a future with Konstance as she is on a ship in the distant future as she and others travel away from the crumbling planet earth to a distant place hundreds of years away。So as you can tell there was a lot going on with this book which is both good and bad。 I simply felt like there was too much going on within the story。 Even though all the characters are somehow connected to this ancient story I felt like I was reading multiple different books。 But even though there were so many different timelines， characters， and conflicts going on I didn't have a hard time keeping each of them separate and I found it easy to follow along with each of the stories。 But I also feel like because there were so many different plots each one wasn't developed as much as it could。 As a whole story， it's pretty good but if you look at each of the characters themselves I felt like their story was half told and both rushed and drawn out。 Just too much was trying to compact into the story。 We have both the past， present， and future with almost all of the characters。 Having so much happening did make it feel like it was moving very quickly and there was always something different to be reading about but then I also felt like even though something new was happening all the time the stuff that was happening really didn't matter。 I kind of felt like the whole block was a lot of just telling a story instead of having an end goal。And like I said before this book felt like five books within one。 It takes a long time for the characters to finally connect in some way and even this connection is very minimal。 I felt like it was a stretch to get this common thread of this ancient story into each of the characters。 In some of them this ancient story was a prominent place in their life and other characters the importance of this story was lacking。I have also read this author's previous work all the lights we cannot see and based on that book I can tell this one will be another hit I personally don't hate or love either of his books but I felt like this book was better than his last so for those who loved his last book they will immensely enjoy this one。 Like his last book， it is wonderfully written with so much detail and creative writing like no other author。 He does well in building the world and the characters that you immerse yourself into the story so this book was written and a very similar way to his first book but for me， I am not a fan。 I do feel like it is a very creative and unique type of writing but I also felt like it was very drawn out it has a lot of useless details and words。With so many different points of view in this book， I felt like the chapters were too short and this made it take a long time for me to understand and connect with the characters。 Because there were so many you would have one character and then have to wait a long time to get back to that character and so it took a long time to finally grasp their story and their situation。 You will go long periods without a certain character， so when you finally get back to them I can see how this might cause a lot of people to forget what is currently happening to that characterAnd also like his previous book all of the stories of the characters are wrapped up very nicely in the end。 People who hate cliffhangers and love when a story feels whole will absolutely love this books ending。 We know exactly what happens to each of the characters in their life once the story ends。 。。。more
Eileen Mackintosh
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There is a lot to this book…。。622 pages。 One story， probably written in the first century， plays a part in the lives of two 15th century characters， Anna and Omer， two current time characters， Zeno and Seymour and also a character of the future， Konstance。 So， past， present and future with connections through the fantastical story Cloud Cuckoo Land。 It took me a long while， close to halfway， to really get connected to this novel。 I probably took 8 days to read the first half and 3 to finish。 I g There is a lot to this book…。。622 pages。 One story， probably written in the first century， plays a part in the lives of two 15th century characters， Anna and Omer， two current time characters， Zeno and Seymour and also a character of the future， Konstance。 So， past， present and future with connections through the fantastical story Cloud Cuckoo Land。 It took me a long while， close to halfway， to really get connected to this novel。 I probably took 8 days to read the first half and 3 to finish。 I guess I needed some time to get in to the rhythm of the book。 I really liked all the characters。 #indigoemployee 。。。more
Jasmin Brooks
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It took me a long while to really get into this book。 Maybe it was me， maybe it was a slow burn story。 Either way， I give the first half of the book a 3。5 and the second half a 5。 Since it came together so nicely， I chose to go with my end score。 This book is one that will stick with me for a while。 Beautifully written， a great story about a story。 It even had some interesting sci-fi scenes。 Truly a wonderful picture of human perseverance。
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Cloud Cuckoo Land
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Cloud Cuckoo Land&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Cloud Cuckoo Land&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0